


save a skater, drain your pool!

by sadie18 (orphan_account)



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Small Town, Awkward Flirting, Camping, Carnival, F/F, Fireworks, Flirting, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Fourth of July, Light Angst, M/M, Marijuana, Mutual Pining, Past Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Pining, Punk, Recreational Drug Use, Romantic Fluff, Shotgunning, Skateboarding, Small Towns, Summer, Summer Love, Summer Romance, barely there, murphys past, very light
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-15
Updated: 2020-05-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:28:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24125155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/sadie18
Summary: a story of empty swimming pools, cigarette smoke, and america's most average town.the standard for fun isn't that high, but bellamy thinks he might be in for an interesting summer.
Relationships: Bellamy Blake/John Murphy, Clarke Griffin/Lexa, Monty Green/Jasper Jordan, Octavia Blake/Raven Reyes
Comments: 12
Kudos: 74





	save a skater, drain your pool!

**Author's Note:**

> self indulgent punk skaters x all american jock nerds in an american suburbia that absolutely NOBODY will read?? absolutely.
> 
> warnings: recreational use of alc*hol and mar*juana, as well as references to murphy's past

Mount Carmel, Tennessee, was a very average suburb with very average people with an averagely suburban population of 5,500. Adults drove by in average cars wearing average clothes on their way to average jobs. 

Summers in Mount Carmel, Tennessee, are just as average as the town itself. 

Bellamy's used to it. He's _used_ to it. 

Looking out the window of his bedroom on the second floor of his completely average neighbourhood house on the outskirts of town, he sighs, his sticky breath fogging up the glass.

* * *

It goes like this; 

Bellamy Blake is the eldest child of two- his half-sister, Octavia, had been the biggest scandal that the perfectly average Mount Carmel had seen in over twenty years, and nobody batted an eye. He makes all A's in school, and is currently the captain of the varsity basketball team in his tiny little high school. His mother is often away for weeks at a time, doing long truck drives around the country to make ends meet, leaving him to take care of his little sister. He's spent all his summers working- whether at the local fair, or mowing lawns, or painting houses- he's not picky. He goes grocery shopping and cleans while his sister cooks and mows the lawn. 

Their house was painted a sky blue, paint that had chipped away over the years. There was a big tree in their yard that Bellamy and Octavia used to climb when they were kids, just a little ahead of their cozy porch. In their backyard, a sad-looking empty swimming pool that hadn't been filled since they'd moved there. He and Octavia had entertained the thought of filling it every summer, and each year the season went by and their pool remained dry. The Blake household is sat between the Griffins and Greens- two families with single mothers, just like his own. 

They were on the outskirts of town for a reason- after all, families with one parent weren't all that average, were they? 

* * *

Bellamy comes back from working one hot day, paint streaking down his sweat-soaked shirt, and sees Octavia sitting on the porch waiting for him. She looks excited to see him, beckoning him as he's stepping out of the scrap of metal they called a car. 

"So Monty and I were hanging out-" She says, following him into the house. "- and a bunch of kids we've never seen before come by- they're on skateboards and smoking and listening to loud music-" 

"Probably the kids from Morristown." Bellamy shrugged, looking at her confused. "What's the big deal?" 

" _Bell."_ She chides. "I think I'd know what Morristown kids look like. No, trust me, we've _never_ seen these people before." 

Bellamy looks at her, washing his paint-stained hands in the sink carefully. "Like I said- what's the big deal?" 

Octavia groans. "You're _such_ a buzzkill. Come _on-_ it's Mount Carmel, when do we _ever_ see new kids our age?" 

Bellamy's curiosity is slightly piqued at that; it _is_ uncommon, for a small town like theirs, with not much to see or do.

"D'ya think they'll be back?" He asks, partially because he wants to know, partially so Octavia's satisfied. 

"Who knows?" She chimes. "Are you working tomorrow?" 

Bellamy checks the faded calendar on their fridge, one that they'd gotten on a discount rack at Walmart and was a year old. "Yeah. And so are you, Clarke as well- we're helping set up the stands at the fair." 

Octavia makes a whining noise, and Bellamy shoots her a glare. "Yeah, I know, no fun, but Abby pulled some strings to get us that gig. We both have the day after free." 

She perks up at that, and Bellamy fights a smile; it's always made him happy, seeing his sister in a good mood. 

"Good." She says cheerily, kissing him on the cheek before bounding to her room. "You _need_ to see these kids- hopefully they'll be back." 

* * *

The both of them come back the next day exhausted and borderline falling down from heatstroke. 

"I wish mom was home." Octavia mutters, as they collapse on the couch for a moment, just a _moment_ of calm. "She'd make us that lemonade." 

Bellamy salivates at the thought of freshly-made lemonade, tangy and refreshing and _cold._ But his mom wasn't around, so- 

"- water will have to do." He sighs. 

* * *

Bellamy wakes up later in the morning than he normally does, sunlight filtering through his window and washing his room with golden light. He takes his time getting up, taking advantage of a day off. 

When he finally deems himself ready to walk downstairs, he's not at all surprised to see Clarke and Monty accompanying Octavia at the kitchen counter. It's been a _thing_ they've done since they were in elementary- Bellamy's pretty sure their door is where Monty learned how to lockpick. 

"What are you guys talking about?" Bellamy grouses, smiling gratefully at Clarke, who slides him a fresh cup of coffee. 

"The strangers." Monty says excitedly. "They were back yesterday- when you guys were at the fair- and they stopped in front of your house- one of the guys pointed at your backyard, and then they skated off." 

"That's not creepy and suspicious at all." Bellamy says from behind his mug, furrowing his eyebrows concernedly. "What if they're going to rob us?"

"What are they gonna take?" Octavia scoffs. "Our toaster with one working slot? The TV we have to smack to change channels?" 

They all snicker at that, filling the house with laughter, before Monty pokes Bellamy in the ribs. 

"Come on, pancake man." He says pompously, gesturing to the stove. "Get to it." 

Bellamy scowls at him, but he can't be mad at Monty long- not with puppy dog eyes like _his,_ and begins scavenging for the chocolate chips.

* * *

The four of them sit on the porch on age-softened pillows in rickety wooden chairs, under countless wind chimes that his mother brought home and hung after a long drive. They nurse glasses of ice-cold lemonade- it's not the same as how Aurora Blake makes it, but Ms. Green does one just fine as well. 

The skating strangers have been the chatter between the four of them the whole morning, speculations as to who they could be, where they were from, why they came.

"Do you think they came with the fair?" Clarke wonders, swinging on the porch seat, rocking her legs back and forth idly. 

"Then we'd see them every year." Monty sighs, twirling a finger in his lemonade. "Maybe they're just visiting for the summer." 

"They're visiting Mount Carmel for the summer?" Bellamy asks skeptically, raising an eyebrow. "Unlikely." 

"But plausible." Octavia states, resting her head on her hand. "That one girl with the red jacket was kind of cute." 

Bellamy gasps, frowning at his sister. "You saw her for like, one millisecond." 

Octavia shrugs cheekily. "Functioning eyes." 

Bellamy crosses his arms. "I'm not loving the idea they came and watched our house." 

"They're just kids our age." Clarke soothed. "Probably saw something that interested them, they commented on it, and they went on with their day. Nothing crazy." 

"Probably this porch. I think your house holds the record for most wind chimes in Mount Carmel." Monty says, spreading his arms grandly. 

"That's not saying much." Octavia snorts. 

"Fine, most wind chimes in Tennessee-"

Bellamy reaches up and taps at one of the chimes, smiling softly at the clinking little tune it starts. He couldn't imagine the house without the tinkling music echoing around it, enveloping it and them in a hug whenever they missed their mom. 

"It's _hot."_ Clarke groans, fanning herself with her hand to no avail. 

"We should fill our pool." Bellamy grins at Octavia, who mirrors it. "We can jump into it from the roof."

"You could get those big pool floaties you can lie on." Octavia says dreamily. "Pretty sure they're on sale at Walmart." 

"I could build a waterslide." Monty pipes up, eyes glazed over in his imagination. 

The four of them look at each other in silence before bursting into laughter. 

"Maybe next summer." Clarke giggles, sipping the last dregs of her lemonade, which is mostly melted ice at this point. 

* * *

The day trickles by in a cycle of sweat and humidity, mosquitoes buzzing under the porch and around sticky lemonade residue on the floors. They eventually move off the deck and onto the soft grass of the yard. Bellamy's thrown his sweat-soaked shirt somewhere, sitting with Monty under the merciless sun while Octavia and Clarke pout in the shade of the tree, their pale skin burning too easily in comparison to Bellamy and Monty's. 

"Thank God the sun's setting." Clarke grumbles. "I'm getting burnt and I'm under this damn tree." 

Bellamy sighs at her. "Always so sensitive, princess." 

She nudges him with her boot. He nudges her back, grinning. 

Clarke and him have been best friends since they were kids- when they'd freshly moved in, she knocked at their door holding a pie dish that was almost as big as her, courtesy of the Griffins. 

Bellamy had always like apple pie.

He's broken out of his reverie by a drum beat and a guitar tune that zings up the street- punkpoprock music, _loud_ enough that they can hear it from a distance, the rolling of wheels on the pavement. The four of them immediately perk up, whirling their heads around and craning their necks to see the corner of the pavement. Bellamy scrambles to put his shirt back on.

"That's gotta be them!" Octavia hisses, nudging Bellamy. "See for yourself." 

A group of four, two boys and two girls, just like their very own, turns the corner- they're all on colourful skateboards, some walking, some rolling, their music echoing up and down the street. Bellamy notices one of their neighbours down the road popping onto their porch and scowling- _God,_ he's always hated Pike. 

Bellamy sees a cigarette hanging out of one of the boys' mouth, thick smoke wafting behind him as they move forwards, forwards, forwards- 

\- until they stop. 

In front of the Blake house. 

The two groups stare at each other uncomfortably- Bellamy's ready to bark at them to fuck off, but one of the girls hops off her skateboard, grabbing it and waving her hand like a white flag, while the music is turned down. 

The four of them wave back, tentatively. 

"Hi!" Non-smoking boy says, sounding cheery and looking cheerier. He's a stark contrast to smoking-boy, who's frowning and glaring, throwing his stub on the road and stamping on it aggressively. "Can we come onto your yard?" 

Bellamy's taken aback by how up front the strange group is- shocked enough that he _nods_. They join them on the grass, inserting themselves into the gaps of their circle. 

"I'm Jasper." The boy, with large goggles atop his head, says happily from his spot next to Monty. "Nice to meet you." 

Bellamy's still quiet, so Monty jumps into action, smiling at the newcomers. 

"I'm Monty." He explains. "That's Bellamy, his sister Octavia- this is their house, I live over there... and this is Clarke." 

"Hi." The blonde chokes out- Bellamy wants to laugh at how her brain is short-circuiting, obviously at the sight of the dark haired girl with black eyeliner sitting next to her. 

"Lexa." The stranger says, quirking a lip up. 

Next to Octavia had to be the girl she was crushing on- a red jacket, long, dark hair in a slicked back ponytail and deep, hooded brown eyes. Her smirk was mischievous- it unsettled Bellamy, just slightly. 

The stranger next to Bellamy is quiet, with hair that fell past his piercing blue eyes, the cigarette that he'd held between black-stained fingernails long since disposed of, but still faintly smelling of smoke and- is that cinnamon? Something sweet. Bellamy's mouth waters a bit.

"I'm Raven." Red-jacket girl introduces. "And that grump is Murphy. He wonders why we've entered a stranger's yard, just like you guys are." 

"It would be nice to know." Octavia admits softly, not once tearing her gaze away from Raven. Bellamy rolls his eyes at her.

"So basically, we're foster siblings, right- oh, _quit_ it, Murphy, why would they care-" Jasper starts, waving away a pointed glare from Murphy. "- our family's gonna stay here for the summer, see if they want us to move here."

"We've been here a week." Raven sighs. "It's fucking boring." 

Monty smirks. "Try living here almost seventeen years."

Jasper shudders. "Anyways, this is probably the most interesting house we've come across for two reasons; one, what's up with all the wind chimes?" 

Bellamy, Clarke, Monty and Octavia burst into laughter at that, their little inside joke flying over the rest of the group's heads. The chimes seem to join them, twinkling music intertwining with their amusement. When they calm down, none of them offer an explanation. 

Inside jokes are inside jokes for a _reason._

"Two-" Jasper continues, like nothing had happened at all. "- you guys have a swimming pool, and it's like, hotter than Satan's _ballsack_ out here... but it's empty?" 

Bellamy tries. He _really_ tries holding back the erupting snort. 

Octavia breaks first, her shoulders shaking in silent laughter. Clarke's right behind her, sniggering into a hand while Lexa watches in shock. 

"Okay, new third point." Jasper says, looking on at them in awe. "You guys _must_ be on some type of drugs."

Bellamy waves him away. "No, no. Inside joke. Sorry- we haven't _ever_ filled our pool, and probably won't."

Raven's eyes light up at that- she shoots up, grabbing her board and sprinting out back. 

"Raven, _no!"_ Lexa groans.

It's seconds later that they hear a familiar rolling sound, the different scratching noise- the rest of them get up and follow curiously.

Raven's skating in loops around the sides of the pool, swerving and dipping. Bellamy's impressed by the time she skates back to the top, flattening out onto the edge. 

"Raven!" Jasper chides- she doesn't look _nearly_ as ashamed as someone who just trespassed private property should look. Octavia looks at her with her mouth open. 

"O." Bellamy whispers. "Don't trip over your jaw." 

She scowls at him, shoving him, before turning to Raven. 

"That was _so_ cool." Octavia says breathily- Bellamy already _knows_ she's fluttering her lashes, a small smile playing at her lips. He's seen his baby sister in action- it's revolting, sure, but he knows she gets results.

"Oh!" Raven scratches the back of her head, finally looking out of place as her face heats up, and she grins shyly. "Um, thank you."

"Now this is sickening." A voice mumbles quietly from behind Bellamy. He turns around to see Murphy, a cigarette hanging dangerously on his bottom lip, his lighter already at the tip. 

It shouldn't be attractive. Bellamy blushes like he's watching something that should be private, looking up at the sky and glaring. He hopes God appreciates a death stare.

"Murph." Lexa snaps, jerking her head towards Bellamy. Murphy sighs, peering at Bellamy with blue eyes under long lashes. 

"Mind if I smoke?" He asks, making his voice drip sweet like sugar. "Pretty please?" 

Bellamy blinks.

Once. 

Twice. 

Then he realises he's supposed to answer. 

"It's fine." He stammers out. "Our mom's a smoker. Go crazy." 

Murphy winks at him in thanks, his mouth occupied by a first puff of smoke. When he exhales, it's with a soft, "oh, I _will_." 

Bellamy thinks he should turn back around. So he does. 

"I suppose you're _still_ wondering why we're _still_ here." Jasper approaches Bellamy- his smile is contagious, and Bellamy finds himself grinning slightly. 

"It's cool." Bellamy shrugs. "You guys might be the most interesting thing to happen to us all summer."

Jasper looks pleased at that- Lexa joins their conversation as Clarke and Octavia are raptured by Raven ranting about the scientific perspective of skating. 

"So you aren't going to fill your pool?" Lexa clarifies. "At all?" 

Bellamy shakes his head. 

"You guys can come back!" Monty bounds over. "Use the pool for your skate tricks or whatever." 

The four skater-strangers brighten up _immediately-_ even Murphy has the wisps of an upward curve on his mouth.

"Thanks!" Jasper pulls Monty into a hug- Bellamy holds a hand to his mouth to hide a laugh at Monty's wide eyes and parted mouth. 

It's a flurry of waves, " _goodbyes!"_ and a sarcastic salute from Murphy directed at Bellamy before their yard is silent once again, just the four of them and their thoughts, the sun dipping low on the horizon. 

"We're in for an interesting summer." Clarke says, breaking the silence between as the crickets begin to chirp, marking nightfall on their little town in Tennessee.

* * *

Bellamy leaves early in the morning to do some shovelling on the other end of town. It's hot, it's always so _fucking_ hot, and Bellamy is at his wit's end with old ladies catcalling him as he works with his top off. 

He flirts with them anyways- the tips are generous, that way, just from a charming smile, a kiss on the hand. 

"Such a gentleman!" They always coo, fanning themselves and blushing. "An American sweetheart, you are." 

Bellamy pulls into their driveway just past noon, swearing as the car just about _almost_ breaks down _again,_ slamming the door and walking into the house. He thinks he hears Monty, Clarke and Octavia outside in the backyard. 

He tosses the ruined shirt in the general direction of the washing machine, not really caring if he landed the shot, before grabbing a loose pair of red basketball shorts in exchange for his filthy cargo pants, almost tripping his kitchen in his haste to get out of them. 

When he finally makes his way outside, feeling minimally less cranky and monumentally less hot, Bellamy realises that in fact, it was _not_ just him, Monty, Clarke and Octavia, but rather them _and_ the skaters that had taken them up on their offer. 

"Don't flirt with him." Clarke jibes to the rest of them, snickering at his expression. "He's had to deal with it from old ladies all day." 

Bellamy scowls, plopping himself down next to her and lying on his back. "Mrs. Smith grabbed my ass- honest to God, she _grabbed_ it. I thought she was fuckin' arthritic." 

"Uh-" Raven starts, looking at him curiously. "- why were you getting hit on by grannies today? I mean, understandable- you're _built,_ man, but... why?" 

"Had a job." Bellamy mumbled, blushing at the compliment, snatching Octavia's heart-shaped sunglasses off the top of her head and putting them on. 

Bellamy's eyes sweep across the group- Lexa is lathering herself in sunscreen that Clarke so charitably gave her, while Jasper and Octavia talk gossip of the past school year. His eyes keep moving-

Murphy. 

Murphy, who looks relatively uninterested in what possibly might be _everything,_ is still smoking a damn cigarette, and looking at Bellamy. 

Bellamy takes advantage of his shade-covered eyes to drink him in. Murphy's brown hair fell in a soft fringe over his eyes, which seemed to be lined with the same thick black liner Lexa favours. He's dressed for summer the only way a punk could- short-sleeved and _black._ His high-top sneakers are worn, the ends of the laces fraying, and Bellamy thinks he sees doodles on the sides of the soles. 

He's cute. 

"What job?" Jasper chimed, a dandelion tucked behind his ears, tangling in his black curls. 

"Today? A gardening job at the senior home." Bellamy propped himself up by his arms, letting his neck fall back. "It's my least favourite job."

"What do you do?" Lexa asks, curious. "I mean- I think I'd like to pick something up, make a little extra cash." 

Bellamy sighs, holding up fingers. "Some days, I mow lawns, or paint houses, do gardening work, setting up at the fair-"

"You missed the shirtless car wash." Clarke snickers. Bellamy's jaw drops at the betrayal while the rest of them let out barks of surprised laughter.

Murphy seems amused, a faint smirk playing at his lips.

"I'd like to hear this story." He says, tapping his cigarette and letting the ashes fall onto a stupid looking ashtray. It's bright pink, with little daisies and fairies painted on. 

"One, it was for _charity._ " Bellamy scowls. "It was during the school year, and I did it with the basketball team. Two; Clarke, that was a _secret._ " 

"Bellamy's the captain of the varsity basketball team." Octavia says proudly, ruffling his hair like _she_ was the older sibling and _he_ was the kid brother. He swats her away half-heartedly. 

"Alright, _Mr. All-American_." Murphy raises his eyebrows. "What _aren't_ you good at?" 

"I'm half-Filipino." Bellamy answers confusedly. Monty chuckles at him. 

"He's pretty awful at math." Monty states- Bellamy nods his confirmation, rolling his eyes back at the mere thought of it. Perhaps if he rolls them hard enough, they'll stay stuck there, and he'll never have to see another number in his life. 

"Coincidence much?" Raven hoots. "Murphy's a whiz at math- but he's barely made a C in History. And he sucks at spelling." 

Clarke gasps. "But that's Bellamy's best subject!" 

Bellamy lowers his glasses- no, _Octavia's_ glasses- to send a pointed glance at Murphy. Murphy shrugs, smiling slightly- ' _what can ya do?'_ _  
_

"Soulmates." Octavia says dreamily, fluttering her eyelashes exaggeratedly at Murphy- the both of them splutter unattractively, and Bellamy's _sure_ that he's red red _red._

"Aren't you guys gonna do some tricks in the pool or something?" Bellamy asks desperately, begging for a change in topic. 

Jasper lights up, flicking his goggles over his eyes. "Well, come on _amigos_ , our friends so generously are lending us their empty pool that they had no intention of using anyways-"

"Not the point, Jas." Lexa muttered. 

"- so let's use it!" He says, with all the grandeur of a performer on a big stage, and not the Blake's barely kept backyard. Murphy smushes the end of his cigarette into the silly ashtray, kicking off onto the board and over the side of the pool. 

Bellamy's heart drops, thinking he fell- broke his neck, cracked his skull, smashed his spine-

and Murphy rolls up the far side, kicking back over the edge and standing, wind tousling his hair. He gives a little bow, and Bellamy automatically begins clapping softly. 

Raven joins Murphy next, an imitation of her display from the day prior. 

"Murphy!" Jasper calls. "Got a light?" 

Murphy digs into his pocket, tossing a lighter- pink to match the ashtray- at Jasper haphazardly. He catches it successfully, and from his jacket he produced a-

"- joint?" Jasper offers, looking at Monty. "You mentioned that you smoke, right?" 

Monty looks at Jasper in awe. "You're _amazing_ \- where the hell'd you get this?" 

Bellamy notices Jasper pinken at the offhand comment- Bellamy bites his lip, tucking the moment into his memory to mention to Monty later. 

"Magician doesn't reveal his secrets." Jasper says quickly, turning to the rest of them. "How about you?" 

"Oh, we don't smo-" Clarke and Bellamy start, in sync with each other like they typically were. 

"I'll try it!" Octavia exclaims. Bellamy almost snaps his neck, how quickly he turns to her, ready to say nonono _no._

Octavia catches his glare easily, directing a level look back. "Oh, Bell, I can do it while you're supervising, or I'll do it away from you." 

He can't argue the logic in that, and lets out a long sigh, making it clear of his thoughts on the matter. Jasper looks at him apologetically, shrugging. 

' _What can ya do?'_

It's a mindset they all seem to share; Bellamy's not used to it, the whole, ' _whatever happens, happens!'_ There's no control.

It freaks him out. 

Not minutes later, the yard has the smell of burning weed wafting through it, a scent that had always made Bellamy queasy when it drifted into the gym while he trained from the smokers outside.

He bears it- he's not gonna be _that_ guy. 

Raven snatches the joint out of Jasper's fingers, taking a long, slow drag. She brings her mouth down, close to Octavia's, who's eyes are wide open, and breathes it into her mouth easily. Octavia receives the shotgun, after breaking out of her daze, and smoke floats out of her mouth. 

"A natural." Raven giggles, and she flips back into the pool. Octavia's left chasing with her eyes- Bellamy chuckles a bit at the hint of desperation in her eyes. 

Octavia Blake's never been much of a chaser, but Bellamy supposes she's about to become one. 

Murphy's lost his shirt, somewhere in the split seconds that Bellamy had taken his eyes off him- there was something _dangerously_ enticing about the boy on the skateboard with the heart-stopping tricks, a smudgy black tattoo he couldn't quite identify tracing up his arm and his cigarettes always jutting out of his lips. 

Bellamy realises, hopelessly, that he might become a chaser himself this summer. 

* * *

It becomes a regular occurrence- there's always someone to greet the skaters, even while they all work through their summer days. Bellamy's backyard, the empty swimming pool, becomes the most used it's ever been before. 

"I like the porch." Murphy states tritely one day. "The wind chimes are cool." 

It makes Bellamy kind of happy, a warm feeling building in his stomach, that Murphy likes the wind chimes- cheap, delicate pieces of glass and wood strung up that mean more to Bellamy than he'd ever realise. 

Clarke rolls up after work another day, looking excited and holding her hand behind her back. 

"Got a surprise for you guys." She beams, whipping her hand from behind her back. "Let's go to the fair!" 

"No way! Your mom hooked you up with the tickets!" Monty crows, plucking one out of her hand in awe. 

"Yeah!" She exclaims. "I just mentioned that we'd made some new friends and that we wanted to take them and-" 

"You got them for us?" Lexa interrupts, softly- it's the kindest Bellamy's ever seen her look.

Clarke's eyes widen. "Uh- yeah, I mean- unless you don't wanna-" 

Jasper leaps into her arms with all of the enthusiasm of a young child. "Clarke, shut _up-_ oh my god, you're so cool-" 

"Monty and Bell and O planned it too!" Clarke squeaks, her complexion completely red. She looks like she might faint when Lexa swings her arms around her, pecking her on the cheek happily. 

Octavia grins. "Bellamy can drive." 

Bellamy turns his nose up at her. " _Bellamy can drive-_ do I look like a _chauffeur_ to you?" 

"Would you let anyone else drive that fossil?" Monty asks skeptically. 

"... no." 

* * *

It takes a record two minutes to start the car, which Bellamy is eternally grateful for. Murphy's sitting next to him, shotgun, his board leaning between his knees, poking his head out the window as the breeze ruffled his hair. It was difficult, keeping his eyes on the road, when Murphy dipped his head back, baring his throat. 

In the backseat was Clarke and Lexa- Clarke had refused to sit in the back of the truck, an irrational fear of falling out of it that had existed since her childhood, and Lexa had _so_ bravely chosen to accompany her while Octavia, Raven, Jasper and Monty sat in the back, outside of the protection of the barely-together car.

Bellamy looked in the rearview quickly- Jasper seemed to be telling a story animatedly, his arms gesticulating wildly while Monty laughed, unabashed. 

"Disgusting, aren't they?" Murphy chimes, tapping his painted nails on the dashboard. 

"It's cute." Bellamy amends, flicking his amused eyes towards the younger boy. "Not a romantic?" 

Murphy shrugs, his signature smirk looking slightly twisted. "Are summer romances supposed to last?" 

Bellamy chews on his lip, silent as he switched lanes and thought about it, feeling stupid when he answered with, "haven't you seen _Grease?"_

Murphy lets out a huff of laughter, and Bellamy feels a twinge of satisfaction. "I've heard the premise. Sounds stupid." 

"Shut _up."_ Clarke says, popping her head between them from her spot in the backseat. "You haven't seen Grease?" 

Lexa chuckles, poking Murphy with one leather-combat-boot-clad toe. "John Murphy, who kicks puppies and makes grown men cry, watching a romcom? The stuff of myths." 

"We're doing a movie night one day." Clarke demands, poking Bellamy. 

"I'm _driving."_ He snaps, swatting at her blindly with an unoccupied hand. 

"Say yes!" 

"Yes!" Bellamy groans. "Now fuck off, we're almost there." 

* * *

They pull into the parking grounds of the fair quickly, Bellamy exhaling as he slows to a stop and makes sure everyone's alive. Clarke hands everyone a ticket. 

"Let's not split up." Raven says. "That's no fun." 

They go to the games first- Jasper's too twitchy to get the darts anywhere near the target, and squeals when Monty wins him a giant teddy bear in his honour. 

"See?" Bellamy nudges Murphy, who mockingly gags. "That's adorable." 

Murphy looks at him pointedly. "You're a big softie, All-American." 

The eight of them attempt squeezing into the largest photobooth station they found, ending with Bellamy in Raven's lap and Lexa on his. The photos turn out hideously- their faces are ugly, none of them were looking at the camera- they all fight over the three copies anyways. 

Octavia and Bellamy share a cotton candy, an age-old tradition at the fair, and smacked everyone else's greedy, sticky hands away possessively. It's disgustingly sweet, makes his teeth feel like it's been cemented together, but it's the sentiment that counts- Bellamy doesn't particularly enjoy it, but likes the way it makes him feel- nostalgic and childishly happy. 

It's when they reach the ferris wheel that Murphy, who's been all talk _and_ all walk, blanches. 

"I think I'll skip this one." He murmurs, purposefully avoiding looking at the ride. "I'll take photos of you from down here or something." 

"Chicken!" Jasper sing-songs, dodging a smack from Murphy. 

"Not gonna make me ride alone, are you?" Bellamy teases, unfaltering even when Murphy sends him a scathing glare. 

"Don't be a scaredy-cat." Octavia pokes him. "Bellamy can hold your hand and make sure you don't fall and all that jazz-"

"- I'm not scared of _falling."_ He scowls, his head seeming to work a mile a minute. "Fine!"

Murphy's eating his words as soon as they're in the seat, Bellamy sitting next to him excitedly. He flinches as the ferris wheel begins rolling, slow like molasses, his knuckles white with how hard he's gripping the bar. 

"Heights?" Bellamy chuckles, not unkindly. "Even with all the crazy flips you can do on a bit of wood on wheels?" 

"That's on the _floor."_ Murphy grits out, his eyes squeezed shut. "Does it currently look like we're on the ground?" 

"I don't know." Bellamy says innocently. "Open your eyes and find out?"

They're on top of Mount Carmel, at this point, the town looking so much larger than Bellamy's used to seeing, but so small compared to the expanse of the world that they hadn't explored yet. The evening lights are twinkling on slowly as the sun begins to set on the horizon, orange glow painting the town.

Murphy shakes his head vigorously- it's endearing, seeing someone like Murphy, all frowns and angry eyes and grumpy disposition so flustered by a child's ride- Bellamy's just glad to see that he's _human._

"Hey." He says softly. "I've been on this ferris wheel _tons_ of times, every summer- nothing bad has _ever_ happened." 

"First time for everything." Murphy mumbles. "You must think I'm such a pussy." 

"Are you serious?" Bellamy laughs, loud and clear, ringing through the fair. "My heart stops when I see you guys on those boards- no fucking clue how you do it." 

He watches as Murphy's hands loosen from the bar- Bellamy fights the urge to grab them- and his eyes are fluttering open, and he makes a point to look up. 

"We're pretty fuckin' high up." He all but whimpers. It shouldn't be so cute, but Bellamy's heart is melting onto the floor and probably dripping off the cart. 

Bellamy points at the cart in front of them that was swinging back and forth wildly, where Octavia and Raven were sitting. "Look how they're fucking around- completely safe." 

"Wanna help me with my homework and tuck me in too, dad?" Murphy bites, but he seems to have calmed down much more...

And then the ferris wheel stops. 

Bellamy knows the ferris wheel isn't supposed to stop, and winces at the eruption of noise from around the ferris wheel. 

"Why's it stopping, why's it stopping, why's it-" Murphy snaps, his hands already making their way back to the bar- Bellamy grabs it by instinct, as if he was taking care of Octavia and not his cute new friend. 

"The ferris wheel is supposed to stop for a couple minutes." Bellamy lies smoothly, grateful that Murphy doesn't pull his hand away. "So we can enjoy the view." 

The answer seems to satisfy him, and Murphy is quiet for a few moments, his face not betraying a hint of fear while he holds a death grip on Bellamy's hand. 

It's weird, how Bellamy doesn't seem to mind. 

"Let's go even." Murphy turns to him. "What are you afraid of?" 

Bellamy gulps, but Murphy's looking for a distraction.

"So you know how I've got- got those wind chimes, on my porch, right?" Bellamy starts- wow, is he _really_ gonna go into this? Pour a tiny piece of his soul out to a boy he met only a couple weeks ago? 

Yes, it seems. Bellamy's always been a bit weak when it came to matters of the heart. 

"My mom- she does truck drives, so she's gone for really long periods, and has to leave as soon as she's back." He continues. "Especially during the summer, she's driving all through the States- we probably won't see her for another month. But every time she's back, she brings back those stupid wind chimes." He snickers slightly, but it was pitiful, more for himself than for Murphy's sake. "Sometimes I worry she's not gonna come back- I mean, my dad left before I took my first steps, and my mom's not even sure who Octavia's dad is-" 

Bellamy avoids looking at Murphy- he's not looking for pity, he's just waiting for the ferris wheel to touch back down. They'd been moving for the last ten seconds, but Murphy doesn't seem to have noticed, enraptured by Bellamy's story. Even the grip on his hand loosened- but hadn't completely let go. 

"- so yeah." Bellamy laughs awkwardly. "Sorry."

Murphy's silent, just for a beat. In that moment, Bellamy's worried that he's scared him off. 

"Well fuck, All-American." Murphy snorts. "You make my thing with heights look like child's play." 

Bellamy lets out a bark of shocked laughter, even when he shouldn't be surprised.

"Parents are shitty." Murphy offers him. "I'm sure your mom will stick around." 

"What's your story?" Bellamy tries. Murphy shakes his head at him amusedly. 

"We're even, now." He says, smirking. "If I tell you, then we're not. Eager, are we?" 

Bellamy grins at him. "Just needed to distract you long enough for us to touch down. The floor, your honour." 

Sure enough, their cart had reached the ground. Murphy let out a sigh of relief, pulling Bellamy along distractedly to rejoin the group. 

"Someone had their bonding time." Jasper hoots, pointing at their still intertwined hands. They break apart immediately, and Bellamy's instantly disappointed at how cold his hand feels. 

Raven makes cooing noises from behind her supersized Cola with two straws, one of which was currently in Clarke's mouth. Clarke wiggled her eyebrows, which Bellamy ignored.

"Shut it, Jordan." Murphy scowls. "You needed Green over there to win you a stuffed toy." 

Jasper winks at him. "No shame. Wasn't it crazy how the ferris wheel stopped, though? Monty told me that's never happened before." 

Murphy whips around to glare accusingly at Bellamy, who shrugs with a small smile. 

"No shame." He says, taking a page out of Jasper's book and winking. Murphy blushes, and all feels right in the world. 

* * *

"Movie night! Movie night, movie night, movie night-" Monty's chanting from Bellamy's kitchen, where he's popping a third bag of popcorn.

Everyone had arrived to the Blake household five minutes prior, already making themselves comfortable. They'd bounded up the stairs to see Octavia and Bellamy's rooms almost instantly, no boundaries, while the two siblings had shared one horrified glance before chasing after them. 

"Space Jam poster?" Lexa cooed, tracing a finger over the faded image of Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny. Bellamy flushed deeply, bumping her away with his hip. He heard Jasper laughing from Octavia's room- whether at the baby pink walls or the My Chemical Romance poster that had been a memento of her middle school emo-phase, he wasn't sure. He's glad that he's had half a mind to somewhat clean his room.

(He _knows_ for a fact that his dirty laundry's been kicked underneath the bed)

Murphy picked up the mini plastic basketball that was laying on the bed, attempting to toss it at the toy net that's hung on Bellamy's door since he was eight, and missed dreadfully. 

"Can't win 'em all." He said woefully, and they all made their way back downstairs, where they comfortably sit now.

"I have Twizzlers." Clarke says grandly, pulling a seemingly endless supply from her bag. Lexa cheers, ripping into a pack quickly. 

"Two minutes!" Monty calls- Bellamy hears the faint popping noises echoing from the microwave, and the smell of butter wafting though his house. He steps outside onto the porch, where Murphy was smoking on the swinging chair, the tendrils curling around the wind chimes as the sun was setting, washing Murphy in soft golden light. The remnants of sunrays hit the glass of the wind chimes just right, creating a kaleidoscope that coloured their porch and his black clothes. 

It's beautiful, it's _so_ beautiful. Bellamy takes this memory and tucks it away- he'll never forget it, never _need_ to forget it, he hopes. 

"We're starting the movie soon." Bellamy says quietly, as to not disturb the peace of the porch. 

"You guys are going to break my sixteen year streak of avoiding Grease." Murphy sighs, smoke floating upwards into his face.

"I still can't believe you've never watched it." Bellamy shakes his head. 

"Not much time, when you're jumping from homes." Murphy looks so much older than his age, his eyes crinkling and his mouth turned down. Bellamy takes a seat next to him cautiously, the chair creaking dangerously before going quiet once again.

"Yeah?" Bellamy presses- he's secretly been waiting for this, waiting for Murphy to open up to him, to see the side of Murphy that wasn't coloured black and snarky remarks and angry music.

"You wanna hear it? _Now?"_ Murphy asks, surprised. It breaks Bellamy's heart, just a little, that Murphy's not used to talking about it. 

"'Course I do." He responds simply. 

Murphy let's out a heaving sigh, taking his time with another drag of his cigarette. "I was born in Texas, to a pretty happy family. Poor, but happy." He smiles sadly at that, his mind somewhere deep in the past. "I got really sick. Didn't have the money for the right medicine, so my dad tried to steal it- got busted, went to jail, yadda-yadda-yadda."

Bellamy listens intently, watching Murphy continue to steel himself, a skill he seemed to have honed over the years. 

"My mom basically loses it." He goes on. "Starts drinking, dies. I found her drowned in a puddle of her own puke- yuck, right? I thought it was. So then I get put in the system. My first home was to this bitch and her ugly daughter Ontari, who desperately wanted to get into my pants. Who _doesn't_ , I know, but she was very-" Murphy struggles with his words, his cigarette held in his fingers, forgotten. "- _persistent_. Then I got lucky the second time round. Jasper's family is good to us. They took Lex first, then me, and after me, Raven."

Murphy holds his arms open, grandly. "That's the story. We're a big happy family, now." 

Bellamy nudges him gently. "Thanks for telling me."

"That's the most you're gonna get from me for the next decade. _And_ we're not even anymore, damn!" Murphy says haughtily, his bravado back with a fervor. "Come on, we can't miss the movie- it's in _my_ honour, after all." 

Murphy takes one last hit of his dying cigarette, and smushes it into the pink ashtray, which he leaves on the small table on the porch. They walk in through the doorway at the same time, their hands brushing.

He's satisfied, when Murphy sits next to him on the couch, the sides of their legs pressing together. If he rests his arm on the back of the couch, behind Murphy, he'll never admit it. 

* * *

_"This movie is such a bad influence on young people-"_

_"Oh, Murphy, suspend your disbelief, it's just a silly comedy-"_

_"No, no, Clarke, he's right, what sort of message is Rizzo making fun of virgins sending to kids-"_

_"Octavia, it's from the 70s, virgin jokes were funny back then-"_

_"That doesn't make it_ right _, Jasper, and this whole change yourself so someone likes you thing? It's bullshit-"_

 _"Exactly, Bellamy! It's_ bullshit _\- this Sandy girl has horrible values-"_

_"Raven, it wasn't just Sandy- look, that Danny guy's become a jock stereotype for her-"_

_"Monty, can you confirm that this is how Bellamy dresses for school-"_

_"Lexa, I do_ not _, shut up-"_

 _"Quit it, Bellamy, you_ totally _do, Mr All American,_ 'I'm the varsity basketball captain' _-"_

_"Hush, Murphy, you're gonna piss him off-"_

_"Yeah, I agree with Octavia, and then he's not gonna snuggle with you for the rest of the movie-"_

_"Shut_ up _, Jasper!"_

* * *

Bellamy, Octavia, Monty, Clarke, and now Lexa, who had picked up a job at the fair with Clarke, miraculously managed to have the same couple days free- it was apparent, what the obvious thing to do with it was: 

"Camping trip!" Raven hooted, throwing herself onto Octavia's back in glee.

Within hours, they'd scrounged up tents- two from Monty's old boy scouts days, and two in Bellamy and Octavia's basement- and packed them into the back of Bellamy's truck. With the tents, they packed a copious amount of alcohol for a day and a night, food and junk snacks, fire materials, and a small grill. 

"Tight squeeze, this time." Jasper jokes, as he, Monty, Raven and Octavia pile into the back with the supplies.

"If you even _think_ you see or hear a cop car." Bellamy warns. "You lie down. If something's wrong, knock the window, and Clarke or Lexa will hear it."

"Okay, _dad."_ Monty bats his eyelashes teasingly. 

Clarke and Lexa get into the backseat, and Murphy sits comfortably in shotgun like he belongs there. 

"Sure this thing will make it all the way to the site?" Murphy asks irately. Bellamy flips him off and buckles in. 

"Don't jinx it." He scowls, and starts the car. It only takes a minute- a brand new record, and he whoops as they start moving. 

"Lucky charm, I am," Murphy sniffs. "We in the mood for One Direction or... jesus, Bellamy, your selection is _awful..._ Taylor Swift?"

"Keep Taylor's name out of your mouth if you have nothing good to say." Clarke says hotly. "And play her music _now."_

Bellamy taps his fingers on the wheel in beat, mouthing the words absently as the world passes by their car in a blur of trees and sky. 

"Swiftie?" Lexa teases, then pops her head out of the window.

"No shame." Bellamy grins, peeking at her from the rearview quickly. 

"Wow." Murphy rolls his eyes. "You really _are_ All-American." 

* * *

Their campsite is right on the riverbank, the slow wash of water rolling filling Bellamy's ears. He rinses his fingers in the water, cooling tired hands. Behind him, a low rumble of chatter goes on as they set up the tents. 

"Somebody-" Octavia says, looking at Monty pointedly. "- forgot the instructions on how to build the tent." 

"I don't need instructions." Monty puffs up his chest proudly, a joint tucked behind his ear, courtesy of Jasper. "I was a boy scout." 

Minutes later, it's apparent that time truly heals all wounds, Monty's wound being the endless hours of Boy Scouts his mother had made him attend. Bellamy sighs, making quick work of the tents with the help of Lexa and Clarke, who seemed to be the most reasonable of their childish bunch. 

"Wonderful work, crew." Murphy slow-claps, bowing his head mockingly. "Great team effort." 

"Gimme that." Bellamy snatches the beer out of his hand, taking a deep swig. "It's _so fucking hot."_

"There's a whole river right there, big brother." Octavia points out, swinging her legs from her perch on the top of the car. 

The group make quick work of their clothes, a trail of sundresses and pants and shoes being dropped as they raced towards the water. Raven stays back with Octavia, where they take advantage of Monty's abandoned weed and Bellamy's forgotten beer. 

"Fuck!" Lexa hisses. "It's freezing." She shrieks when Clarke and Jasper splash her mercilessly, their laughter ringing up and down the water. Bellamy turns to Murphy, who's only half submerged in water, crossing his arms and glaring at the inanimate riverbank as if he could will it to get warmer. 

"Don't you _dare."_ Murphy warns in a scathing tone, looking at Bellamy fearfully. Bellamy continues prowling towards him, flicking up water as he goes, a shit-eating grin splitting his face. "No, Bellamy Blake, I swear to-" 

_Splash!_

Murphy's normally fluffy fringe is pasted to his forehead, and he's spluttering while Bellamy snickers at him, distracting himself from the rivulets of water dripping down Murphy's bare chest and soaking into predictably black board shorts, making him glow in the pale sunlight. 

"Swear to what?" Bellamy asks innocently, clipping him with a little more water. 

"You're a dead man walking." Murphy answers calmly, before erupting out of the water to jump onto Bellamy's front. The bigger boy stumbles backwards, eventually falling- but he had an iron clad grip on Murphy's hips, bringing him down with him into the water. 

Bellamy opens his eyes, for the split seconds they're under the surface- sunlight filters through the water, illuminating Murphy, who had his eyes closed, lips pursed as he held his breath. His pale skin was bright, underneath all this blue.

"Son of a bitch!" Murphy shouts as they come up for air, inhaling gasping breaths. Bellamy grabs the boy, light in the water, and throws him over his shoulder like a rag-doll, years of athletics and summers of hard work coming in handy as he kept his hold on Murphy, who was pounding on his back childishly. 

"You- big- _lug!"_ Murphy kicks. "I'm going to _end_ you!" 

Bellamy keeps walking, whistling a small tune to Murphy's chagrin, until they're back on the riverbank, where he deposits Murphy on a patch of grass gently. Murphy glares up at him, speechless and slightly red in the face. Bellamy's sure he's not any better, but he finds that he doesn't care. 

He _doesn't_ care. 

The world can know that he likes Murphy.

Like, _like-likes_ Murphy. 

"What are you grinning about, pyschopath?" Murphy grumbles, and Bellamy escapes his thoughts. 

"Just how much you look like a lobster." Bellamy lies quickly. "Go put some sunscreen on, white boy." 

Monty and Raven cackle wildly at the comment, throwing the poor boy a bottle of sunscreen. 

"We can't all be half-filipino." Murphy gripes. " _With your nice tan and pretty freckles and all that._ " 

It's under his breath- Bellamy's sure he wasn't meant to hear the little off-handed comment, but he smiles all the same, turning around to join the group again. 

* * *

The fire crackles lowly at dusk on the riverbank, the crickets making their reappearance. All is silent but a group of eight- rowdy, loud and _drunk._

Bellamy is _plastered._

Where moving around had once been easy for him, he was now stumbling unabashedly, tripping into Raven and falling into Jasper left and right, both of which weren't all too sober themselves. 

He felt loose, every tightened muscle from years of work and stress feeling unwound, every worry and thought he'd been keeping to himself suddenly vanished from his mind. His arms and legs moved with an unfamiliar fluidity, a fluidity that made him feel clumsy. 

"Pretty sure Clarke and Lexa are gonna happen tonight." Raven nudges him excitedly- the two of them quietly gaze at the log the blonde and brunette were perched on, talking in hushed tones a small distance away from the rest of the group. 

They're giggling- Clarke pushes Lexa half-heartedly, her chiming laughter wafting over to their campsite, before sitting closer to her, legs and sides and shoulders pressed together. Bellamy watches as Lexa creeps an arm around Clarke's waist, resting her hand comfortably on the hip. 

"It's happening!" Octavia hisses. "It's happening!" 

Clarke turns to face Lexa, smiling what seems to be... _shyly?_ Bellamy can't really tell, it's dark, and the alcohol is blurring his vision. Lexa whispers something that makes her laugh again- Lexa can't take her eyes off Bellamy's best friend, looking at her in awe, as if Clarke was the only thing in the world, the rest of it falling away. 

Clarke leans forward, slowly, anxiously- Lexa eagerly meets her halfway, and their mouths slot together, their silhouettes illuminated by soft starlight and yellow glow of the embers. 

The group holds a breath, allowing a moment before they make their attention known, and they _whoop,_ loudly and happily, clapping and cheering like a standing ovation. The two girls laugh against each other's mouths before standing and walking back over, hands intertwined loosely. 

"Verdict?" Jasper asks eagerly, his hands pattering against his lap in a meek imitation of a drumroll. The girls share a glance, amused and lovestruck, almost getting distracted by one another again. 

"Girlfriends." Lexa confirms, tugging Clarke into her arms. It warms Bellamy's heart to see, someone so close to him so happy, radiating joy. He raises his bottle at her, winking, before downing its contents.

"You guys poisoned me. I watch Grease one time and now this is cute." Murphy whispers from next to Bellamy- he jolts, swinging around in a flurry of drunken limbs, before Murphy puts his hands on his shoulders, smirking amusedly. "Easy tiger. Just me." 

"Okay." Bellamy beams. "Grease was good for you. Grease is good." 

Murphy snickers. "You're drunk." 

Bellamy pokes his chest. "No, _you're_ drunk." 

"Will neither confirm nor deny." Murphy says- he's a good actor, even _Bellamy_ can tell, but the slow slur at the frays of his words give him away, his lazy glances, and his hands, hot to the touch. 

His hand, which grabs one of Bellamy's quickly, beginning to drag him to the car. 

"I hid a joint in here somewhere." Murphy says quietly, his eyes flicking to where Jasper and Monty were. "Didn't feel like sharing with those green-guzzlers." 

"You hid a _joint_ in my _car-_ what if we got pulled ov-" Bellamy all but yells affrontedly. Murphy's eyes widen, shushing him and-

_whoa._

Murphy's finger was on his lips, effectively shutting Bellamy up, his heart punching a hole through his chest. 

"But we _didn't_ get pulled over, did we?" Murphy states mischievously, and continues pulling him along, before rummaging through the dash. He let's out a satisfied, "ah _hah!"_

"We can sit on the hood." Murphy demands- Bellamy's not good at "no", he never has been, it was a lost fight before it'd even begun- which is how he finds himself sitting on the hood of his ancient car, facing the rolling river and the moon, watching John Murphy light a roll of weed. 

He holds it between his lips, dangling precariously, and holds his hand around it as he flicks the lighter- it catches the first time, the paper beginning to fizzle away as the first puff of smoke wafts out of his mouth and up up up into the air. 

"Gonna?" Murphy offers- Bellamy looks at it, interested and confused at the same time. 

"I've haven't in a couple years-" He confesses. "- I'll cough." 

"I'll help you ease into it." Murphy's eyes glint, and he brings the joint to his lips, taking an easy drag, before he's moving towards Bellamy, oh _God,_ he's moving towards Bellamy-

His mouth just barely brushes his, mostly from proximity and alcohol-infused coordination, as their lips are joined by a single puff of smoke, and Bellamy feels _electric._

He still coughs, because apparently nothing ever goes his way, but he's not embarrassed in the slightest when he notices how Murphy is looking at him, kind of wonderstruck, kind of obsessed. 

"I'll do you one better." Bellamy slurs bravely- there's a reason he doesn't drink, and it's because he's a _stupid_ drunk _-_ and plucks the joint from Murphy's fingers easily. He breathes it in, holding it in his mouth and moves.

Murphy's already meeting him halfway. 

This time, it's not an accidental brush. Bellamy presses his mouth against Murphy's, soft but persistent, parting his lips to allow the smoke to fill any gap between them. It's not an unwelcome surprise when Murphy's tongue finds the space.

And all too suddenly, they're making out on the hood of his ancient car, facing the rolling river and the moon. 

They part, just for a moment, and Bellamy smiles tipsily at Murphy's chasing his lips, and pulls the smaller boy into his lap. The car heaves in protest, but they ignore it. 

' _There are more pressing matters.'_ Bellamy thinks, as Murphy's fingers dance around the hem of his shirt. ' _Much, much more pressing matters.'_

* * *

The next morning, even in the space of their tent, Bellamy finds himself in the crook of Murphy's hickey-spotted neck, inhaling that minty-cinnamon-cigarette smell that had fascinated him on the day they met. The navy coloured tent is washed blue, morning sun filtering through it. 

He nurses a low headache, pulsing through his skull, but it's merely an afterthought as he peeks up at Murphy, fast asleep. 

Murphy is so much softer, in this light, his eyes devoid of the hard black liner that Bellamy's so accustomed to seeing, his seemingly permanent frown in fact, not permanent at all. His hand is clutched loosely around Bellamy's waist, holding him close.

It's kind of beautiful- Bellamy could stare at him forever.

Alas, it could only be a couple minutes longer, because Murphy stirs, his lashes fluttering as he squints under the lights. 

"Hi." He croaks, his morning voice sending a chill up Bellamy's spine. 

"Good morning." Bellamy can't help the smile that creeps into his voice. "How's your head?" 

"Haven't had any complaints." Murphy jibes- Bellamy chokes on a bark of surprised laughter, shocked that Murphy could take shots even after just waking up. 

"You're bad." Bellamy grumbles, pretending to get up- Murphy's hold on his waist is ironclad, and the younger boy scowls, as if daring him to try again. 

They lie in silence, for a few minutes, Bellamy enjoying Murphy's fingers running through his hair gently. 

"What are we?" Murphy blurts, then slaps a hand over his mouth- a rare moment of weakness that Bellamy quietly relishes. 

"What do you want to be?" Bellamy answers softly, crossing his fingers under the blankets childishly. 

Murphy groans, looking skywards for strength. "I... _ugh,_ you fucking All-American, don't make me say it." 

"Say what?" Bellamy presses. 

A deep sigh. "Bellamy Blake, you gonna be my boyfriend or what?" 

Bellamy snorts at the _Murphyness_ of it all, at the obvious discomfort of the admittance. "Well, when you say it like that-" 

He doesn't get to finish his sentence, because Murphy rolls on top of him, shutting him up promptly. Bellamy can't find it in himself to be mad about it, when his hands find Murphy's hips. 

* * *

July Fourth rolls around, and Monty and Clarke have gotten express permission from their moms to celebrate with their friends this year. It's an exciting matter, all hands on deck in the yard and kitchen. Monty and Jasper get their greedy little hands on a few barely legal fireworks that make Bellamy nervous just _looking_ at them.

Murphy's got his hands on a couple cases of booze, which he hid poorly under a thin picnic blanket as he and Octavia walked by the Griffin house. Bellamy looks at him like he's stupid, and Murphy cuffs him around the head. 

It's comfortable. It feels _so_ comfortable, and Bellamy couldn't be happier. 

Raven is in the garage most of the day, tinkering at a secret that she won't even allow Octavia to see- Bellamy's baby sister pouts throughout the early-afternoon because of it, but Ms. Green's lemonade (with an extra alcoholic kick, courtesy of Murphy) cheers her up instantly. 

"You look stupid." Murphy pulls at the waistband of Bellamy's star-spangled board shorts, snickering when Bellamy winces at the snap. He himself is wearing black (again), but has a small American flag drawn on his cheek after some nagging from Clarke. "Do _not_ tell me she painted an eagle on your back." 

Bellamy guiltily avoids showing Murphy is back- it ends up getting all smudged anyways, when Murphy jumps on his back in attack. 

"You guys are gross." Clarke calls from her perch on top of Lexa's lap, seemingly ignoring the perfectly good lawn chair right next to her. The boys flip her off in tandem, grinning gleefully as they notice their syncing. 

"Do you know what Raven's working on?" He asks Murphy subtly. 

"Yes." He replies. "But I'm not allowed to tell you. Raven's got dirt on me- hell, she's got dirt on all of us. Sworn secrecy." 

"Oh?" Bellamy's interest piques. "What kind of dirt?" 

Murphy harrumphs at him. "Nunyah." 

"Nunyah...?"

"Nunyah _fuckin'_ business, Bellamy Blake." 

It starts a hose fight around the backyard, Monty shrieking as he got caught in the crossfire, and smiling goofily when Jasper fetches him towel. 

"Whipped!" Murphy calls after him. 

"How couldn't I be?" Jasper winks. "Look at him, he's adorable!" 

Monty buries his red face in his hands, the little American flag tucked behind his ear falling to the ground. Murphy picks it up and sticks it unceremoniously into Bellamy's mass of thick black curls. 

"Now _this-"_ Murphy sniggers. " _This_ is All-American." 

Raven finally makes an appearance at sunset- she's holding the fireworks that she's been fixing all day. 

"Okay." She starts nervously. "Can I light this one first?"

"It'll work, Raven." Jasper soothes. Raven looks at him like he's stupid, shrugging off her red jacket and tying back her long hair. 

"Of course it'll _work."_ She sniffs. "Who do you think I am? It's just- it's _special_." 

She takes care in finding an open space to set them off, lighting them quickly as they all step back. Bellamy sneaks an arm around Murphy's waist, listening to the telltale sound of fizzling. The fireworks shoots into the air without fanfare, going up, up, up. Raven takes a spot next to Octavia, glancing at Bellamy's sister anxiously. 

_Bang!_

In the sky, written in glittering red, are the words, " _Be mine, O?"_ They fizzle out of the sky after a few seconds, but Bellamy watches in awe as the sky eventually clears away. They cheer, echoing up and down the street. Absently, Bellamy hopes Pike can hear them. He's always hated Pike. 

"You _made_ that?" Octavia exclaims, turning to Raven. "You made that for _me?"_

Raven bites her lip proudly, nodding. She's not ready for Octavia to jump into her arms, but she catches her anyways. 

"Yes, yes, yes, yes." Octavia giggles, peppering Raven's face with feather-light pecks. It warms Bellamy's heart, seeing his baby sister so gleeful. 

"Why don't _you_ make me fireworks?" Murphy elbows him, looking haughty. 

"I would if I could." Bellamy sighs, dropping a kiss on the top of his head. Murphy groans. 

"I was trying to make fun of you." He harrumphs. "And then you ruin it by being cute and shit." 

Bellamy wiggles his eyebrows at him. "You think I'm cute?" 

"Oh my _God-_ Bellamy, we're _literally_ dating, what the _fuck-"_

"Remember when you said summer romances aren't supposed to last?" Bellamy asks, feeling sort of dumb, sort of like a kid again. He can't find it in himself to care. 

"Hmph." Murphy scowls. "I am _occasionally_ wrong. Only on occasion. I had to give in, you pushy, persistent, annoying assho-"

Bellamy cuts him off, pecking his mouth quickly, and relishes the way Murphy shuts up instantly. Tactical. It's all tactical. 

"You play dirty." Murphy grumbles, but leans his head on Bellamy's shoulder all the same, watching the red, blue and white fireworks explode in the air, the lights showering over their friends as they celebrate a truly unforgettable summer. 

* * *

**THREE AND A HALF WEEKS LATER**

"Kids!" 

A familiar husky, female voice rings through the house early in the morning, breaking Bellamy out of his sleepy haze as he jolts up, pulling on an old pair of shorts from the floor and rushing out of his room. Octavia's already halfway down the stairs, one of Raven's oversized black band shirts hanging off her frame. 

"Mom!" She cheers, throwing herself into a waiting Aurora Blake's arms. Bellamy patiently waits his turn, and squeezes his mom once Octavia's had the grace to let go. 

"Are you tired?" Bellamy fusses. "Water? Food?" 

Aurora waves him away, a proud look tinging the corners of her eyes. "No, no- did you two take care of each other? Been working?"

"Yes, mom." They chime in tandem, like they always do, sharing a knowing glance. Bellamy pointedly looks at Octavia's shirt, and she smirks at him cheekily, her eyes flicking down to a leather bracelet that now adorned his wrist, a gift from Murphy. 

"How's Clarke? And Monty? And..." Aurora asks, her eyes noting the mugs that lay on their drying rack- Clarke's four year old " _Best Friend"_ mug, gifted from Bellamy, Monty's plain blue, and a newer set of four, all black, that she'd never seen before. A new photo is pinned up on the fridge- a cheap photobooth slip that Octavia and Bellamy had fought the rest of them for. "... do you two have anything new to tell me?" 

"Let's hang the new wind chime, first." Octavia strums her fingers against the countertop excitedly. "Pretty sure there's still space for a couple more." 

"Okay, okay." Aurora says, reaching into the plastic bag that had sat, forgotten, on the table. She pulls out a basic wooden wind chime, painted in soft blue and green tones that remind Bellamy of their camping trip over a month prior. "Come, let's go to the porch."

They step out, the heat not yet enveloping their town in the morning, the beginning of August just around the corner. Octavia steps on a porch chair to hand it up, Bellamy's hand steady on her back to make sure she doesn't fall. 

"You kids and these wind chimes." Aurora says, digging through her pockets for a lighter and taking a seat on the swinging chair. 

"People love wind chimes." Bellamy states matter-of-factly. "Tried and true." 

"Is that so?" Aurora rasps, tapping her cigarette against the pink ashtray, decorated with the little daisies and fairies, on the small table. Bellamy winces as she sees Aurora's face twist in confusion, wondering why an ashtray that didn't belong to her sat on their porch. 

"Do _not_ tell me one of you started smoking." Aurora says dangerously, glaring at them. "I'll kill you myself."

"No!" Bellamy exclaims. "No. No, we aren't, promise." 

"So you two are gonna tell me what happened this summer?" She asks. Octavia sits down on the swing chair, curling in next to her mom, while Bellamy takes an unoccupied seat across from them. 

"It's a long story." Octavia warns, looking at her mom adoringly. 

"Will it explain this ashtray?" Aurora says, amusedly. "And that shirt that's not yours? And the mugs? And Bellamy wearing jewellery for the first time in his life?"

"Yeah." Bellamy reddens, glancing down at the simple leather cord around his wrist. 

"Then we got all the time in the world." Aurora grins, flashing nicotine-stained teeth, crow's feet gathering at the corner of her eyes. 

Octavia gestures at Bellamy to start, and he takes a deep breath. 

"It all started with our empty swimming pool...." 


End file.
